Coal is clean when burned steady state. The issue is demand. Solution: run coal steady state, when demand drops use the excess to generate hydrogen. Store the hydrogen in coal by converting it to oil. The oil generated is chemical grade and can be used to make stuff, or used as fuel. Your choice.
For an example of not understanding energy production look at Denmark. Wind generation produces 18% of their energy. But there carbon footprint went up 36%. Since wind energy is generated mostly at night. They made there coal plants dirtier by reducing nighttime coal run electric plant load and longer run-ups to meet daytime energy demand.
Agreed in the case of Denmark... wind is not base load capable and base load devices are not intermittent capable. It is impossible to have a wind and coal, clean and backup cake and eat it too.
What I disagree with though is the premise about coal.... it may possible for it to be clean to burn but it is inconvenient and unsightly to extract and clean up after. The ash alone is a large problem let alone the scrubbed particulates and how to dispose of them and their concentrated toxic components. Dispersed things like arsenic aren’t terrible but when you concentrate them in a particulate collector they become a problem dont’ they?
PS...re: Not understanding energy production.
I doubt there was very little understanding about it at all. I imagine it was a decision made in ignorance and pandering to the equally ignorant tree hugging electorate.
Stupid is as stupid does.